Actor Randeep Hooda won the National Film Award this year for the 2024 film Swatantrya Veer Savarkar. The biographical drama based on the life of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar faced a series of challenges before its release. In a statement after winning the award, Randeep recalls the shooting process and more. (Also Read: 72nd National Film Awards full list of winners: Kartik Aaryan, Yami Gautam, Mammootty win big; as does Article 370)
Randeep Hooda on winning National Film Award for Swatantrya Veer Savarkar
Randeep expressed happiness at winning a National Award, stating, “Being announced as the winner of the National Award for Best Debut Director for Swatantrya Veer Savarkar is a moment I’m still trying to process. This film asked more of me than anything I’ve ever done.”
He then recalled how challenging shooting for Swatantrya Veer Savarkar was, “The journey of this film was filled with challenges at every juncture, but I’m glad we saw it through and overcame each of those. And despite that, somehow we kept finding the strength to move forward. As an actor, co-writer and first-time director, I gave this film everything I had because I felt an immense responsibility towards telling Veer Savarkar’s story with sincerity and honesty.”
Seemingly talking about the crew changes the film went through, Randeep summed it up with, “Whatever we endured while making this film is insignificant compared to the life he lived and the sacrifices he made. I’m deeply grateful to my entire team for believing in this dream and standing by it through every high and low. This recognition belongs to all of us, and I hope it inspires more people, especially the younger generation, to discover and reflect on Veer Savarkar’s legacy.”
About Swatantrya Veer Savarkar
Swatantrya Veer Savarkar is a biopic based on the life of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. It is directed, co-written, and co-produced by Randeep Hooda, who also plays the titular role of Savarkar. The film was released in theatres in March 2024. The film is written by Utkarsh Naithani and was supposed to be directed by Mahesh Manjrekar, who opted out due to creative differences.
72nd National Film Awards announced
The National Film Awards for films certified in 2024 were announced on Saturday. Yami Gautam, Kartik Aaryan, and Mammootty won the Best Actor awards for Article 370, Chandu Champion, and Bramayugam, respectively. Article 370, directed by Aditya Suhas Jambhale, won the Best Feature Film. Rajkumar Periasamy won the Best Director award for the Tamil film Amaran, while Kalki 2898 AD and Captain Miller won in other categories.